Strawberry for Gerry

I'm baking some strawberry cupcakes for Gerry's birthday. Actually I was in a dilemma as to the flavour that I'll be baking. I was constantly baking choc for everyone's birthday or demands, and it kinda dawn on me that it's so routine and uninteresting. Simply said, I'm not a fan of choc!

I'm more into berries and all... =D

I came across this Strawberry Cupcake recipe by crazyaboutcupcakes.

I started with getting ready the creaming.

And the slicing of strawberries.

I spotted a heart shape in a strawberry! Amazing! Fated! My Love! hahahaha....

I used a box out of 2 for the recipe.

I finally found these white cups but it was a 'medium' size.

The creaming started with butter and sugar 1st.

The strawberries and vanilla were the last to be folded into the mixture.

Papa gave me this giant spatula.

It cleaned out everything from the bowl!

I waited for the cupcakes patiently, and increase the timing as they didn't look totally cooked.

They looked like some mousse instead, right??!

And they had torn themselves away from the cups 'cos of over-baking =(...

It's tooo wet! I can't believe it. And there's no picture as to how the cupcake would look like and neither the texture as well on the website.

Strawberry Cupcakes (http://www.crazyaboutcupcakes.com/recipes.htm)
Ingredients:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with liners.
2. With an electric mixer on medium speed cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Mix for 3 minutes. With a spatula fold in the vanilla and strawberries.
5. Fill the cupcake liners one-half to three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

With the disappointment I had in the day, I jumped to the next strawberry cupcake recipe that I found under howtoeatacupcake. I wzs tempted to try as the result was a really sweet and cool pink one.

I sliced the other box of strawberries and squashed them in a bag. More fuss-free this way. Sugar is added and set aside.

Next, boil the strawberries that the flavour ia already well enhanced by the sugar.

Blend the hot strawberries into juice form. Careful it's hot!

It's so yummy!

The strawberry juice was then added to the creamed butter and sugar with the milk.

I didn't get a pink mixture though. And it's pretty runny too.

They were ugly! And wet too, just like the batch in the morning!

I was disheartened. I was thinking am I that bad a baker??

As time was running out, I decided to use Nigella's vanilla cupcake and the remaining strawberry juice.

I love the way Nigella works around her kitchen. And I love her kitchen! I took the recipe down as she was demonstrating it over on SCV one day.

They are just simple cupcakes but look pretty enough to fall in love with.

To make strawberry jam, I added cornstarch bit-by-bit (depends on the thickness preference) and vanilla essence (about 1 tsp) to the strawberry sauce.

Finally, I saw some 'light'.

I cut a cone shape out of the cupcakes and pour a tsp of the strawberry jam in.

Then cover the top back, but of course you'll need to cut off the excess cake off the 'hat'.

I followed Nigella's lemon icing as well. It was lemony delish, alot better than my first trial of the Royal Icing!

The idea started with a drop of strawberry jam on the center of the lemon icing.

But I suddenly thought of a pattern made with cuppacino via a forwarded email. I did this with the help of a toothpick, drawing from the middle of the red dot and to the end.

Strawberry Cupcakes (http://www.crazyaboutcupcakes.com/recipes.htm)

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with liners.
2. With an electric mixer on medium speed cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Mix for 3 minutes. With a spatula fold in the vanilla and strawberries.
5. Fill the cupcake liners one-half to three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

Strawberry cupcakes with Strawberry Whipped Cream Frosting
(http://howtoeatacupcake.blogspot.com/2007/05/strawberry-cupcakes-with-strawberry.html)

Cupcakes:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry sauce
1/4 cup milk

strawberry sauce:
2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut in half and stem removed
sugar to taste
cream cheese frosting:
8 ounces or 1 package of cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar approximately
1/4 cup of strawberry sauce

cupcakes:

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Measure out milk and strawberry sauce together.
4. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
5. Add about one third the milk/strawberry sauce mixture and beat until combined. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
6. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes). Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350F until a cake tester comes out clean.

Strawberry sauce:

1. Macerate strawberries with about 1-2 tbs sugar for 15 minutes.
2. Put strawberries in a small saucepan and heat under medium heat with lid on. Cook strawberries for approximately 15 minutes till strawberries cook down and become soft and saucy.
3. Adjust sweetness with sugar until you get the desired sweetness.
4. Using a hand blender, puree until you get the desired smoothness or chunkiness. Cool before using in recipe.

Cream cheese frosting:

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add half of the sugar, beat until combined.
3. Add strawberry sauce until you achieve the right color and flavor, making sure not to add too much or the frosting will be too soft. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

Nigella's Vanilla Cupcake

(I)
125g unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 1tbsp castor sugar
125g all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsps vanilla essence

(II)
2 tbsps milk

1. Blend all ingredients in (I) until pale and fluffy.
2. Blend (II) into step 1 for around 5mins.
3. Fill up 12 cupcake liners and bake for 15-20mins in preheated oven of 200 Deg C/ 400 F.

Lemon Icing

350g icing sugar
2 egg whites
A squirt of lemon juice (half lemon)

1. Blend icning sugar and egg whites.
2. Add lemon juice and con't to blend.